The Williamson Family

A Little About me:

Born in the "big" room of 7 Allans Hill, Maybole, at 6.10pm on Tuesday 15th August 1944. The news "It's a boy!" was relayed to the neighbours from the back steps and was met
with some considerable pleasure. Well that's what they tell me anyway!

My parents, Jessie Anderson JESS and William WILLIAMSON met during
WWII and married on 16th August 1943.

When the war ended my father returned to his home town of Wick, Caithness,
taking my mother and me with him but my mother could not settle in Wick,
so when I was around 18 months old she returned to Maybole, which would appear
to have signalled the end of the marriage.

My only memories of my father are as a 6 year old when he returned to Maybole
for my mother's funeral in August 1951. My Grandmother was so frightened that
he would take me away with him that she made me go round to a neighbour's when
she knew he was due to arrive. This 6 year old did not take too kindly to this, my
fathe, whom I had only ever seen in photographs, was coming and I was excited
and extremely curious, therefore nothing and nobody was going to stop me
meeting him, so although I was sent to our next door neighbour's (Mattie Henderson) I was glued to the window waiting for my father to go past. As soon as I saw him I was off, with Mattie shouting after me "Jim come back here," arriving at our house to my Grandmother's dismay only a few paces behind my father. My grandmother's fears were groundless as my father said he could not provide a home for me, but to be absolutely certain
she persuaded him to allow her and my Grandfather to adopt me.

Our only other meeting was when our daughter Karen contacted him without my
knowledge, probably instigated by a Cilla Black programme, and we went to
meet him in Wick, Caithness, seven months before he died of cancer.

I Attended Carrick Academy school, Maybole, from 1949 to 1959, playing football for both the Intermediate and Senior teams.

The first three years of my working life were as a Battery & Tyre Fitter for McConechy's Tyre Service, Peebles Street, Ayr. It wasn't rocket science and the pay wasn't up to much but the Ł20.00 bonus at holiday and Christmas time was definitely welcome, plus my workmates and the customers helped to make it really enjoyable on the whole.

I then joined the Royal Air Force in July 1962, just a month before my
18th birthday, on a nine year engagement, plus three years Reserve.
Those nine years were probably some of the best of my working life.
My one regret in life is that I ever left the R.A.F.. With hindsight I
should have continued my service career to its ultimate conclusion. (22 years or age 55).

I met my wife Patricia in Wolverhampton on 18th August 1962, having
just watched my favourite English team, Wolverhampton Wanderers,
demolish Manchester City 8-1 on the first day of the 1962/63 season.

We married on 8th August 1964, on my return from 15 months in Aden.
Our son David was born the following year, on 29th August 1965, and our
daughter Karen followed almost four years later, on 10 June 1969.

We are now in our 41st year of marriage (2005) and have two grown up children, David and Karen, and four beautiful grandchildren, Abigail, Iona and Alex and Zack, plus two more on the way.

My first job after leaving the Royal Air Force in 1971 was as a Washing Machine Engineer, after about seven month I moved on to become a Sales Rep, then after a further seven months I became a civilian Communications Operator with the West Midlands Constabulary. That lasted for 15 months, until just after the council boundary changes in April 1974.

I then joined the Computer Department of Britain's top selling regional newpaper, the Wolverhampton Express & Star. Beginning as a Computer Operator and progressing to Computer Manager.

With the arrival of new technology in newspaper production, in 1992 I made the transition in to Production and am now Region Production Manager (Mid-Staffs) based at our Regional office in Cannock, Staffordshire.